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OUR SCHOOL SCHEDULE HARMS THE HEALTH OF OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
SIGN THE SLEEP FOR SUCCESS PETITION NOW.
They Say Knowledge Is Power. Are You An Informed Parent?
Learn about the benefits of more sleep
"There is virtually unanimous agreement in the research community that later start times
in adolescent education would produce a positive change in adolescent learning, health and safety."
- Education Commission of the States, May 6, 2014
To do nothing is to do harm.
"Almost 9 in 10 high school students do not get enough sleep every night.
This is a public health issue that deserves a serious, immediate response.
Luckily, unlike many public health issues, it has a simple and obvious fix: start schools later."
- the American Academy of Pediatrics
Learn how neurobiology shifts all teens' sleep cycles later and sign the sleep for success petition now
TED TALK
Why School Should Start Later for Teens
May 18, 2017
Our school schedule is endangering adolescents' health and safety, and preventing students from reaching their full potential
Over the past few decades, scientists have begun to discover the importance of sleep. For adolescents, the benefits of obtaining the proper amount of sleep include improved academic performance, cognitive function, creativity, athletic performance and mental health. Properly rested teens are also less likely to crash cars, get injured, abuse substances, commit suicide or engage in other risky behaviors.
Scientists also learned that around puberty, adolescents' biological clocks shift later so that it is difficult for them to fall asleep before 11:00 p.m. or wake up until 8:00 a.m., even with the best sleep hygiene. To make sure adolescents get the 8 to 10 hours of sleep that they need given this shift, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have all stated that middle and high schools should start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. In Westport, Staples High School starts at 7:30 a.m.
Westport's pediatricians have signed a letter endorsing the AAP, AMA, and CDC's policy statements as "grounded in broad medical and scientific consensus" and stating that changing middle and high school start times to 8:30 a.m. or later is a "necessary public health measure."
Wilton changed to later school start times over a decade ago and, starting in 2017, Greenwich High School will start at 8:30 a.m.
Ridgefield Public Schools are implementing healthier school start times for the 2019-2020 school year.
Although sleep has historically been viewed as a luxury that ambitious people cannot afford, we now know better. And it is past time for us to fix our school schedule for the sake of our kids' health and future success. The first step is to sign a petition urging the Westport Board of education to commission a third party bus study to determine what our options are for later school start times and what costs would be associated with each option, if any.
